The Senate confirmed pro-Trump businessman John Phelan to be the Secretary of the Navy in a bi-partisan vote.
The final vote was 62-30, with 11 Democrats joining all 51 Republicans who voted on the nomination. Even Jack Reed (D-Rd.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services committee, voted yes after expressing some doubts about Phelan's experience.
The Harvard Business School graduate is the founder and chairman of the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC, and previously was the co-founding partner and chief investment officer of MSD Capital, the private investment firm for tech billionaire Michael Dell, founder of Dell Technologies.
Phelan, an experienced businessman, presented himself as an outsider who would make necessary reforms to the Navy.
“The U.S. Navy is at crossroads, with extended deployments, inadequate maintenance, huge cost overruns, delayed shipbuilding, failed audits, subpar housing, and, sadly, record-high suicide rates,” he told he told the Senate Armed Services Committee in February.
A handful of Democrats questioned Phelan's readiness for the role, but his hearing was far from contentious.
"You're a nontraditional appointee for this position, and that can be OK if the tradition is not working," Democratic Senator Tim Kaine (Va.) said.
Ranking member Jack Reed - who ultimately voted for Phelan - initially expressed doubts about his ability to manage a complex military organization like the Navy.
Phelan said it was time to try a new approach.
“The Navy and the Marine Corps already possess extraordinary operational expertise within their ranks. My role is to utilize that expertise and strengthen it to step outside the status quo and take decisive action with a results-oriented approach,” he said.
Pentagon secretary Pete Hegseth was among those who congratulated Phelan on getting the job.
"Congratulations John Phelan on being Confirmed as the 79th Secretary of the Navy! Looking forward to supporting our warfighters together," Hegseth said.
Phelan's confirmation comes after a Navy aircraft carrier was damaged in a collision with a merchant vessel last month. In a previous concerning incident, a pair of Navy Pilots were shot down over the Red Sea by friendly fire.
During his confirmation hearing, Phelan told the Senate that President Trump is particularly concerned about the condition of the Navy's fleet. Phelan said Trump texts him in the middle of the night with pictures of rusty warships.
“The president has been very consistent when he spoke with me: shipbuilding, shipbuilding, shipbuilding,” Phelan said.
President Trump ordered the state of Colorado to remove an unflattering and "purposefully distorted" painting of him from the state's Capitol.
The awkward picture has been hanging in the Capitol Rotunda in Denver since 2019. In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared a photo of the painting, which he described as "truly the worst."
"Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before," Trump wrote.
The same artist who made the Trump painting, British-born Sarah Boardman, also painted the picture of Barack Obama hanging next to it.
"The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst," Trump wrote. "She must have lost her talent as she got older," Trump wrote.
Trump said he spoke with the Democratic governor, Jared Polis, about taking the picture down. The president also knocked Polis over his handling of the Tren de Aragua gang, which came to national attention last year after occupying an apartment complex in the Denver area. Polis infamously dismissed the gang takeover - which was captured on video - as a product of the "imagination."
"In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain," Trump said.
"I am speaking on their behalf to the Radical Left Governor, Jared Polis, who is extremely weak on Crime, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don’t worry, we saved it!), to take it down. Jared should be ashamed of himself!"
When the painting went up in 2019, the Colorado Springs-based artist said wasn't influenced by her personal feelings about Trump, according to Newsweek.
"My portrait of President Trump has been called thoughtful, non-confrontational, not angry, not happy, not tweeting. In five, 10, 15, 20 years, he will be another president on the wall who is only historical background and he needs to look neutral," she said at the time.
A spokesperson for Governor Polis responded to Trump with sarcasm.
"Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork," Polis' spokesperson wrote.
While Polis is busy firing back at the president, Coloradans continue to feel the impact of the migrant crisis in their state.
The sports world, and especially the realm of professional boxing, lost one of the best to ever engage in the sport.
According to Breitbart, boxing legend George Foreman, also known as "Big George," died this week at age 76. President Donald Trump paid special tribute to the iconic fighter in a touching statement released on social media.
Foreman was known to the world after his boxing career just as much as he was when he fought in his glory days.
An outpouring of tributes flooded the internet in the wake of the news of his death.
President Trump paid tribute to Foreman's legendary status as a fighter and an all-around good guy outside of the ring.
"George Foreman is dead. What a GREAT FIGHTER!!! He had, without question, the heaviest and biggest punch in the history of boxing," Trump wrote.
The president added, "With the exception of Ali, when you got hit, you went down. He was something really Special, but above all, he was a Great Person, with a personality that was bigger than life. I knew him well, and he will be missed. Warmest condolences to his wonderful family!!!"
🚨🇺🇸TRUMP: GEORGE FOREMAN WAS A LEGEND—THE HARDEST PUNCHER IN BOXING HISTORY
“George Foreman is dead. What a GREAT FIGHTER!!! He had, without question, the heaviest and biggest punch in the history of boxing. With the exception of Ali, when you got hit, you went down.
He was… https://t.co/2JnpQ25eXh pic.twitter.com/s6WGKjKWVx
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 22, 2025
Foreman's family also released a statement regarding their loved one.
"A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose," the statement said. "A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, He was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family."
Fans and former colleagues all paid their respects across social media after the news hit the headlines.
"George was a Brother in Christ. He’s moved up in Class to Heaven," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "George Foreman was one of the greats! RIP George. Condolences to his family."
Undoubtedly, his legacy will live on forever.
Despite a continued judicial effort to stop him, President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act last week, and it's already paying dividends.
According to the New York Post, a gangbanger wanted for human trafficking was lucky enough this week to win the title of being the first illegal migrant detained under the Trump-invoked law.
Franklin Jose Jimenez-Bracho, described as a "known Tren de Aragua gang member," was apprehended this week by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents alongside Florida police officers.
According to the outlet, Bracho is wanted for "human trafficking, smuggling and is also the subject of a pending investigation."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and their federal and state counterparts have been working overtime to get the bad guys off of the streets, and thanks to Trump invoking the centuries-old act, more dangerous thugs are being removed by the day.
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons revealed the importance of "arresting and deporting members of Tren de Aragua" during a recent press conference.
Dozens of TdA gang members have been arrested over the past week alone, with many more expected to be cuffed and processed, and ultimately deported to El Salvador, where they'll spend plenty of time in prison.
"They’re out there. They’re sophisticated and they hide their crimes, but today I’m here to let everyone know we are more sophisticated," Lyones said during the presser.
He added, "We have more resources than ever to find them and get rid of them from the United States."
The Post noted:
The Trump administration already deported roughly 250 alleged migrant gangbangers to El Salvador’s brutal mega prison Saturday in defiance of US District Judge James Boasberg’s order to turn the planes around.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) commented on the arrest, bragging that Florida "leads the way."
FDLE and Florida Highway Patrol Troopers, in participation with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Homeland Security Task Force Orlando, today arrested a known Tren de Aragua gang member—the first arrest conducted in the nation under the Alien Enemies Act according to HSI.… pic.twitter.com/1uEhj5BGgJ
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 20, 2025
"Good. Get them all out. Never to return," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Keep it going, great job."
Fox News star Kat Timpf shared an update on her breast cancer battle after undergoing surgery in the hospital.
The 36-year-old new mom announced to her social media followers that she underwent a successful double mastectomy. Timpf - who is known for her crackling wit on Fox News' Gutfeld! - put a humorous spin on her heartbreaking situation.
"Post-op!" she wrote. "They’re honestly not much smaller than they were before I got pregnant."
The update comes weeks after Timpf informed her fans that she had stage zero breast cancer. The new mom received the frightening diagnosis just hours before going into labor.
In her initial post sharing the cancer news, Timpf said doctors planned to perform a double mastectomy "as soon as possible."
"Now, before you worry, my doctor says it's stage 0 and is confident that it almost certainly hasn't spread," she wrote at the time.
"I sat and listened as they told me that the best course of action would likely be a double mastectomy as soon as possible."
In an update Thursday, Timpf shared a post-op photo from her hospital bed, with the words "censored" blocking out her feet.
"Your sense of humor will serve you well getting through this. Helped me, immensely," one supporter wrote in the replies.
"Awe, mama! We're thinking of you and praying for all good things," read another comment.
"Girl, just follow your doctors instructions, rest and do your best! Cancer is a journey and motherhood is forever! You go Kat! You got this," said another fan.
Timpf had previously implored fans to respect her decision to undergo surgery after some said a double mastectomy was "extreme" for a stage 0 cancer.
She noted that "every case of breast cancer is different" and her focus is on staying alive for her son.
"I don't take cutting my t*** off lightly," she quipped.
"As a general rule, I don't think any woman does. I find it devastating. But I am very grateful to have access to the opinions of many brilliant minds when it comes to breast cancer."
The Fox News star had kept up with her work as a political commentator on the popular late night show Gutfeld! through her pregnancy.
Her fans and colleagues are eager for her return, with Greg Gutfeld wishing her a speedy recovery in the comments on her latest post.
"Can't wait to have you back.," Gutfeld wrote.
"Me too," she replied.
U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man with a gun hours before President Trump gave a speech to a joint session of Congress, raising fresh concerns about the president's safety.
As reported by Just The News, a gun with 13 rounds was found in a person's backpack as the suspect entered the Capitol complex on March 4.
The incident, which unfolded after 9 a.m., was recorded in a police incident report.
"The Suspect was detained by A/O, while R/O conducted a physical search of the backpack," the report said. "R/O discovered a handgun with a 15 round capacity magazine loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. The Suspect was placed under arrest and transported to Headquarters for processing," the report said.
The report added that the gun had a valid registration. House Republicans say the incident is under investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police Inspector General's office.
"The Speaker's Office is aware of the incident — and will work with the relevant House Committees to obtain much-needed answers," House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) office said in a written statement to Just the News. "These allegations represent another serious security breach and they will be thoroughly investigated and appropriately addressed."
Capitol Police dismissed a claim from Trump operative Roger Stone that a person with a gun made it inside the
House chamber where Trump delivered his remarks after 9 p.m. that evening.
"We have no indication that any of this is true or accurate," U.S. Capitol Police told Newsweek.
Concerns about Trump's safety were heightened after he survived two assassination attempts while campaigning for re-election in 2024. The first would-be assassin came within an inch of shooting Trump in the head at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
There have been a number of recent incidents involving armed suspects at the Capitol. A man was arrested on Election Day reeking of fuel and carrying a torch and flare gun. In January, a man attempted to set his car on fire as Trump visited the Capitol to meet with Republicans and pay his respects to Jimmy Carter.
Firearms and explosives are prohibited on Capitol grounds.
Risks to the Capitol have not come exclusively from members of the public: the Capitol Police officer who killed January 6th protester Ashli Babbitt, Michael Byrd, had been cited for a number of firearm safety issues, including leaving his pistol in a public bathroom.
Minnesota Republicans have called on a state senator from their party to resign after his arrest for soliciting a minor.
Sen. Justin Eichorn, a married father of four, was arrested in Bloomington Monday after a sting operation. The 40-year-old was charged in Hennepin County Wednesday with soliciting a minor for prostitution. The DOJ also announced federal charges against Eichorn on Wednesday for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
Authorities say Eichorn believed he was chatting with a 17-year-old girl when he arranged to meet in person on Monday, not realizing he was talking to a police detective.
Beginning March 11, Eichhorn began messaging an undercover detective and attempted to set up a sexual transaction, according to the DOJ.
“Hey [fictitious name] I saw your post and [sic] chance you are still available tonight?” he asked, later adding, "What’s a guy gota do to get with the hottest girl online tonight.”
Over the course of several days, Eichorn asked for lewd photographs and inquired about the prices for different sex acts. Eichorn also asked about the detective's age and was repeatedly told she was 17. Before meeting, Eichorn asked for a lewd photograph to verify the transaction.
“Ok how about a pic in just your bra and underwear holding up 2 fingers," he asked.
When Eichorn arrived at the designated location on Monday, police arrested him without incident. They found cash and a condom in his car, the DOJ said.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no tolerance for public officials who violate federal law—particularly those laws meant to protect children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “I am grateful to the Bloomington Police Department, to the FBI, and to all law enforcement officers who use undercover operations to identify and arrest child sex predators to prevent them from abusing real children.”
"As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone's child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up," Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in a statement.
Eichorn's resignation would impact the balance of power in Minnesota's closely divided legislature, since Democrats have only a one-vote majority in the 67-member Senate. The state's Republicans swiftly called for Eichorn, a state senator since 2017, to resign.
"We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation … Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family," a Senate Republican Caucus statement said.
Eichorn's arrest came hours after he garnered attention for proposing a bill that would classify "Trump derangement syndrome" as a mental illness.
Residents of South Florida were placed under a "red flag" warning Monday as dry conditions and high winds raised the risk of wildfires - putting President Trump's historic Mar-a-Lago mansion in the danger zone.
It's the first such warning Palm Beach County has received in two years, the Palm Beach Post reported.
In Florida, wildfire season is all year, but the risk is highest in spring and summer.
A mass of cold, dry air on Monday combined with low relative humidity led the National Weather Service (NWS) to declare a "red flag" warning in Palm Beach County, where Trump's home is located on a barrier island.
"It's not very common at all for this area," NWS meteorologist Ana Torres-Vazquez told Newsweek.
Since January 1, only 2.76 inches of rain has fallen at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, which is five inches less than usual. 78% of the county is considered to be in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The "red flag" warning lasted from noon to 8 p.m. Monday. The National Weather Service cited wind gusts of up to 25 miles per hour and relative humidity dipping below 35%.
"Any fires that develop could spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior," NWS Miami said.
With its gilded rooms and extravagant Mediterranean exterior, Mar-A-Lago is a cultural landmark and an internationally recognized example of Trump's opulent taste.
The palatial mansion was built by cereal heiress Marjorie Meriwether Post, who wanted it to become a "Winter White House" after her death. The federal government couldn't keep up with the exorbitant cost of maintaining the property, and it was returned to the Post Foundation, which eventually sold it to Trump for reportedly half the $20 million asking price in 1985.
The European-style villa became a National Historic Landmark in 1980, with the National Park Service noting it "exemplifies the baronial way of life of the wealthy who built mansions in Florida during the Florida land boom of the 1920s."
In the Trump era, Mar-A-Lago has become an unofficial second White House, where foreign dignitaries often gather to pay their respects to the Donald.
Despite tight security, Mar-A-Lago is also a flashpoint for political protests and the occasional trespassing incident. The home was infamously raided in the summer of 2022 by the FBI under the administration of Joe Biden, Trump's former rival.
As the American people suffered from Joe Biden's border crisis, the executives of a non-profit accused of child exploitation were getting rich.
Southwest Key Programs struck gold, receiving $3 billion from the Biden administration that allowed top executives to inflate their salaries almost twofold even as kids suffered abuse, the New York Post reported.
It's just one example of how Biden's border chaos benefited bad actors, from human traffickers to foreign gangs that expanded their footprint on U.S. soil.
Southwest Key Programs is the largest operator of shelters for unaccompanied alien children in the U.S. Before the second Trump administration severed ties with the group, it worked with the Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement to house alien children.
As a record number of alien children flooded into the country under Biden, Southwest Key Programs received $3 billion from the federal government, according to HHS data.
The spike in funding appears to have benefited the non-profit's head honchos, who saw their salaries rise significantly, the New York Post found after a review of tax information.
At the start of the Biden administration, Southwest Key CEO Anselmo Villarreal was paid $491,642, but by 2023, he was earning $1,174,551.
The group's chief human resources official Jose Arroyo Davila, and chief information officer Andy Harper, each doubled their pay to $600,000. Geraldo Rivera, the senior VP of immigration services and later chief program officer, almost doubled his salary from $312,791 to $555,998.
While this was happening, the Biden administration was rushing to hand off alien children to poorly vetted sponsors, with former HHS secretary Xavier Becerra likening the process to an "assembly line."
The Biden administration ultimately lost track of some 32,000 alien children, a government report found last year. In July, the Biden administration had an epiphany and sued Southwest Key for sexually exploiting children.
Republicans had raised the alarm months earlier, with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Ia.) sharing whistleblower disclosures that Southwest Key was placing children at homes linked to gang activity and possible child-trafficking.
The Trump administration has severed ties with Southwest Key over the alleged abuse of children in its care, and the DOJ consequently dropped its lawsuit.
“This administration is working fearlessly to end the tragedy of human trafficking and other abuses of unaccompanied alien children who enter the country illegally,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“For too long, pernicious actors have exploited such children both before and after they enter the United States. Today’s action is a significant step toward ending this appalling abuse of innocents.”
Apparently, there was a "mistake" in the recent stopgap federal spending bill that would have meant the loss of $1 billion for Washington D.C.'s local operating budget.
The situation sparked the Senate to quickly pass a bill allowing the nation's capital to continue with its prior budget approval for fiscal year 2025, The Hill reported.
The bill to fix the situation was endorsed by Senate Republicans and even President Donald Trump. It passed in the upper chamber via voice vote, according to the outlet.
Congress is in charge of approving Washington D.C.'s budget during the appropriations process every year, even though the city was granted "home rule" in the 1970s.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican, announced that the bill was supported by both President Trump and Republican House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole.
"This bill would simply fix a mistake in the House [continuing resolution] that prevents the District of the Columbia from spending its own tax dollars as part of its budget, which Congress routinely approves," Collins said in a statement.
"Congress approves the authorization of the expenditure of D.C. local funds, which are paid for by D.C. tax revenues," Collins added.
The Hill noted:
Collins noted that previous stopgap legislation enacted last year included language approving D.C.’s fiscal year 2025 budget and that the “language was continued in the second” funding patch passed in late 2024.
During routine appropriations discussions, language included in such bills typically allows D.C. to continue operating under the budget it would have previously approved.
For reasons still unknown, the standard language approving that process was omitted from the most recent stopgap continuing resolution passed last week.
Had the Senate not taken action on the issue, amending the larger spending bill would have required the House's involvement, which would have likely led to a government shutdown since the House recessed after passing the latest CR.
Passing a standalone bill was the fastest and most effective way to allow the capital city to continue operating as normal.
The Hill noted:
The stand-alone D.C. bill still needs to be approved by the House and signed by Trump, and it’s unclear how soon the lower chamber will act on it. Neither the House nor Senate are in session next week.
While the situation isn't ideal, it's better than having to risk a shutdown over omitted language.